People keen to get a ripped body and bulk muscles spend hours in the gym sweating their hearts out. But have you been working out right? Well, most aspiring bodybuilders look up to Ronnie Coleman, the legend to achieve their goals.

His tips and techniques work as inspiration and guidance to budding gym enthusiasts. While meeting him to Coleman’s workout routine might be a tough nut to crack we bring to you an easier way out.

In our discussion today let us learn about some useful tricks from Coleman. These methods that he followed and went on to become 8 times Mr. Olympia champion can help you too. For all those who wish to achieve bulk and cuts like the man himself let's dive right in.

Learn Workout From Ronnie Coleman

Having maintained a star status in the field of bodybuilding, Ronnie Coleman exhibits immense dedication toward his craft. His journey began at the young age of 24 right after college when he first began working on his body.

He tried to keep a natural approach following the age-old body bulking practices.  But later on, changes in lifestyle and exercise patterns got him to where he is today.

Practicing regular body stretching twice a week, and focusing on chest exercises became the building blocks for his long journey. Some of his favorite exercises included- flat incline and decline, barbells, and dumbbells.

Furthermore, his 2300-pound leg presses and 540-pound T Bar rows with 700 pounds behind the back shrug defined Ronnie Coleman natural dedication towards the sport. Ronnie Coleman’s’ workout plan evolved over the years which is why there is a lot to gain from his learning. Some of his important tips include-

#1. The twice-a-week rule

Ronnie stresses training each muscle group individually at least two times a week. This not only gives intensity to your muscles but also makes them stronger. For better results, you can also introduce new exercises to your routine with the old ones. These variations can help in better growth of the muscles. Alternating between exercises continuous attention should be given to the regularity of this regime. 

#2. Lean and strong

Body fat can be a great hindrance to effective bodybuilding. Thus you must try to bring it down and maintain lean muscles. Reduction in fat percentage can give you more endurance, strength, and muscle health.

Heavy weight lifting can help in burning more calories resulting in less body fat. You can also go for lesser weight with more reps for similar results. Maintaining enough supply of protein and energy during these periods is a must. 

#3. Work on triceps

Coleman is known around the world for his legendary biceps and triceps. Achieving those is possible by focusing on regular exercise using dumbbells. Incorporating 1-2 dumbbell exercises in your routine can help build bulky arms.

Try using straight bars and cables for better results. Ronnie’s favorites include – French curls, behind-the-neck extensions, and close-grip benches. While these exercises may not be enough to build heavy arm muscles they are great to start with. A gradual increase in the number of reps can show effective results. 

#4. Progressive Overloading

Adding adequate mass to your muscles is essential for obtaining a bulky and ripped body. But this muscle mass should be gained over time and not all in one go. Progressive overload requires you to build muscle fibers in a way that they become bulky and strong.

Bicep curls with a gradual increase in weight over weeks can be a good way to initiate this process. Start with 20 lbs and with growing muscle intensity you can increase the weight. Pushing your muscle endurance to its peak is the ultimate aim of this method of gaining. 

#5. Concentrate on your pump

Lifting heavy weights is often considered the best way of bulking muscles. However, you must ensure that these weights should be compatible with your muscle strength. Lifting more weight than what your muscles can bear can lead to grave damage.

Starting from optimal weights and a gradual increase in muscle endurance can regulate your pump. A higher number of reps with the same weight can be a good way of building endurance in your muscles. 

#6. Try Partial Reps

Triceps are usually the most significant part of any bodybuilding regime. Thus making them bulky yet healthy is part of any exercise regime. Building triceps need increased reps due to the high muscle concentration in this area.

Partial reps are an easy and effective way of keeping the focus on the triceps at all times. These exercises cause arm muscles to relax less ensuring increased endurance and strength. With constant pressure on the triceps muscles, you can see noticeable changes. 

#7. Super Quads

Supersets are a great way of giving extra push and strength to your muscles. They keep your body active and put each muscle group to work ensuring better overall results. Squats are a good choice if you are looking for developing your own supersets regime.

Not only do they provide easy and quick transitions but also boost muscle gain. Including pair leg presses, front squats, ham sticks and leg extensions can show effective results in less time. Coleman confirms that performing supersets showed significant improvement in his workout routine. 

#8. Shoulder Training

Coleman greatly encourages training your shoulders for that fierce heavy look. He suggests combing different workouts along with weight lifts for effective results. His division of lateral, anterior and rear shoulder muscles can help decide the ideal set of exercises for each of these groups.

Boulder shoulders however hold significant importance in any bodybuilding regime. Supplementing your set of exercises with a high number of reps can be a great idea. 

Final Words

Symmetry in the body is necessary for a complete and successful muscle-gaining technique. Coleman stresses the importance of rear workouts to ensure that no muscle group is unattended during exercise.

He suggests separating the rear delts from the rest of the muscle groups and focusing on it alone. Clockwise or inward-rotating back muscles and lifting compatible blades can be helpful. The key is to shift the entire focus onto the rear muscles and do most reps to allow the most gain to your back muscles. 

The above-mentioned routine as suggested by Ronnie Coleman can be your route map to achieving the body you desire.

It is no less than a holy scripture for gym enthusiasts and should be followed likewise. While these tips can help you greatly, remember to keep in mind your body type. Individual tolerance and capacity are crucial in deciding your overall gains. Additionally, regularity in this practice and a nutritious diet can enhance natural bodybuilding over 40.